BJP alleges AAP leaders settling rape cases for bribes

The BJP on Thursday accused AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his wife of running an alleged corruption syndicate through middlemen in the state to settle rape cases in exchange for bribes of up to Rs 5 crore, calling it the “AAP loot model”.

The allegations come in the backdrop of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) ordering an inquiry into a complaint that Mann’s wife Gurpreet Kaur allegedly demanded Rs 5 crore to quash a rape case.

The NHRC on August 21 directed the Punjab chief secretary and director general of police to inquire into the allegations and submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) within two weeks.

Addressing a press conference here, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari played purported audio recordings of the alleged middlemen and cited other evidence, claiming the involvement of Mann, his wife, and Kejriwal, whom he described as Punjab’s “super CM”. 

“The audio recordings that we are going to play before you, and the evidence that has come before us, point towards the fact that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is running a new loot racket and a new corruption racket,” Bhandari said. 

“In this corruption racket, allegations are that he and his wife, through middlemen, are seeking bribes of up to Rs 5 crore to get legitimate rape cases settled,” he alleged. 

Bhandari alleged that middlemen have been deputed across Punjab on the instructions of the chief minister and his wife to facilitate such deals. 

“The chief minister and the wife of the chief minister have deputed middlemen across Punjab. These middlemen, on the instructions of the chief minister and his wife, have innovated a new model of corruption, which we call the Aam Aadmi Party’s ‘loot model’, in which these middlemen are taking bribes of Rs 5 crore to settle rape cases,” he further alleged.

Referring to one alleged rape case, he played recordings that he claimed established the charge.

 “The middleman is speaking to a relative of the accused and saying that we have also informed ‘CM sahab’ about this and now CM sahab has also become involved,” he alleged. He also questioned Kejriwal’s alleged role in the purported racket. 

“Does the chief minister and his wife run a syndicate in which they are taking bribes and money to withdraw rape cases?” he said.

“Has the chief minister’s office become a syndicate of corruption?” Bhandari asked.  “Has the Aam Aadmi Party’s ‘loot model’ now become a model in Punjab where money is being taken for rape cases, just like the corruption and loot model of the ‘Sheesh Mahal’ in Delhi?” he asked. 

Referring to the NHRC ordering probe, Bhandari said, “On August 21, 2026, the National Human Rights Commission, taking cognisance of this matter, has already written a letter to the Chief Secretary of the Punjab Government and the Punjab DGP.”

“It has asked to investigate whether the chief minister’s office and the chief minister himself are running a corruption racket in Punjab in which bribes of Rs 5 crore are being offered to withdraw cases of rape victims,” Bhandari said.